It's nippy in the north!!

I am currently staying with long time friends of the family Harry and Nicole in Eindhoven which is about an hour and a half drive from Amsterdam.  It's great I met Harry over 10 years ago in Mexico (my first out of the country trip with my grandmother when I was a young girl which was an experience that sparked my enthusiasm for travel!) 

It has been great to stay with my "european family".  I have my very own room, free use of a washer and dryer and the fridge!!  They are so sweet, Nicole even asked me which food I don't like prior to stocking the kitchen!!  They are so sweet and it is these simply luxuries that come to mean so much when you have been "on the road" for 6 wks!  I think that they wonder what is wrong with me because I have been sleeping so much and actually at times I wonder myself! :-)  But for whatever reason I just sleep, sleep, sleep!  Today we went to a beautiful city on the southwest coast of the Netherlands which was lined with an amazing soft sandy beach along the North Sea.  I had the best nap of my life on that beach today!!  The sun was out and it was warm, though I and everyone else on the beach was fully clothed.  Still, surprisingly great weather for Holland in October!! 

I survived my night's stay in the Madrid airport.  I was better prepared this time which was a bonus!  Also another traveler in Barcelona informed me of a very useful website called sleeping in airports.com  I checked it out and it really came in handy!  I probably only got 3.5 hrs of sleep on the hard granite floor but it was restful then followed by a 2 hr. nap on the plane and another 1 hr. sleep in the car and another 3 hr. nap at the house, like I said, I just can't get enough sleep these days!!  Resting up for the adventures that lay ahead I think!!

For those of you who aren't in the loop I am heading to Thailand in 2 wks.  I will be traveling in Thailand for 3 wks. then onto Australia!!  It was an idea that I had kept in the back of my mind and while on this trip I decided to go for it!!  I applied for a working/holiday visa in Australia and was approved so I will be able to work while I am there to continue to fund my traveling.  At this point I have submitted a few applications to some riding stables and have a connection to a racing barn in Australia as well.  Who knows though, I may end up pooring pints in a bar...  I am pretty much open to whatever job I can get that pays decent!!  However I am really starting to miss riding, I mean a lot!!!!  In fact it is starting to cause physical pain like going through withdrawels or something so I need to do something about that pronto!!

Tomorrow I am getting shots for my trip to Asia, I hate needles but it has to be done!!  Then Nicole and I are going to a friend's farm.  They are show jumpers and the father won the individual silver medal in show jumping 10 yrs ago!!  I am so excited to see their amazing farm and meet them!!!

That's all for now...